Preached by Chris Broom, 9/28/2008

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Lia Sandoval (1st row center) Gets Baptized!

(Click here for part 1)
(Click here for part 3)

Another inspiring day today! And to end everything with Lia’s baptism was so special. What a heart! She has been able to overcome so much in her life (losing one of her legs and her eyesight) and yet, remained joyful. What a lesson for all of us. And to see the miracle of her sins being forgiven at baptism, as the brothers and sisters lowered her into the water, was priceless!

I hope you enjoy the lesson today.

-Chris Broom

James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (No, we learned that last week.)

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

• The Lord’s brother is pounding it into his audience that faith without deeds is useless. It won’t help you or anyone else. Faith without deeds is really no faith at all.
• You have faith, I have deeds. (As if there were “faith Christians and deed Christians)
  Show me you faith without deeds… YOU CAN’T.
• “All you have to do is believe” doesn’t work at anything. Try that at your job… tell your boss, “all i have to do is believe.” You know what your boss is gonna tell you…, “i believe you better look for a new job.”
• Faith like that won’t get you through this life much less, save your soul.

Faith Has Visible Signs – It’s Not Just in your Mind:

• Have you ever met anyone who claims to be something, but can’t back it up? (One of my favorite examples of this are the ”American Idol” auditions. if you say you are a singer, then you have to sing.)
• Why do we tell people they are good when they are not? We don’t want to hurt their feelings, so mislead them. (Sentimentality and people pleasing.)
• If you are a dancer, dance. If you are an actor, then act. In NYC, everybody is an actor. If you are waiting on tables and you have not been in a show or auditioned for years, then you’re a waiter, not an actor.
• If you are a CHRISTIAN, you have TO BE LIKE CHRIST.
• John 14:12-15 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
• If there is faith, there WILL BE VISIBLE SIGNS. (do what I have been doing.)
• 1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
• Church, ask yourself…  “are you living the life, or are you somewhere on the periphery of things, and not really involved in doing the work of the kingdom?”

What keeps us from doing what Jesus did.

1. Many of us are not taught to do what Jesus had been doing (Luke 9:23).
2. Many of us don’t have anyone in our lives expecting us to actually obey God and do what Jesus did.
3. Many of us have no one encouraging us to do what Jesus would be doing if he were here.
4. Many of us don’t do what Jesus did because we are ashamed of Jesus and his words. We are afraid. We are afraid of what people think. (Are your friendships based on being polite but not truthful?)

Faith Has Visible Signs – It’s Not Just in your Mind:

• It is hoppin’ on campus, but on Sunday morning it is QUIET. Eight out of ten people claim to believe in Jesus on some campuses. Where are they on Sunday morning? Sleeping!
• i think when the lord comes back, he’s gonna come back on Sunday morning. SURPRISE, IT’S SUNDAY MORNING!

1 Corinthians !0:1-13 Faithlessness has visible signs as well.

• God was not pleased with most of His people who saw the miracles.
• These things were written so that we would not set our hearts on evil things.
• In Joshua 14:6-8 Caleb recalls the faithful report he gave according to his convictions. All twelve of the key leaders Isael found the land to be exceedingly good and yet ten of the twelve most prominent leaders of the tribes of Israel, the vast majority, gave a faithless report. They did not believe that God would bring them victory and therefore led the Israelite community into
  grumbling against their leader Moses, and thus God Himself. (Numbers 14:2, 27, 36)
• We must take these warnings and heed them.
• Joshua and Caleb didn’t become partners because they were buddies and liked each other, but because of their faith and deep convictions. They didn’t condemn the other ten leaders because they didn’t like them, but because of their lack of faith and lack of Godly conviction.
• I am a part of this church and the movement we are a part of because of my convictions. You need to be here for the same reasons. Our friendship and loyalty will grow out of our convictions.
• We are determined to follow Jesus’ great commission to evangelize the world in our generation. Even in this church, we have relatives all over the world and they need to hear the gospel.
• As a church and a movement, we want to have the spirit of Joshua and Caleb that “we can certainly do it,” and the heart of Jesus to sacrafice whatever it takes!
• It is alot of work to save one soul. if we are willing to put in that work one soul at a time, God’s genious plan of multiplication will take effect and the world will hear the message!
• Margarette Mead said, “Never doubt that a thoughtful, committed group of people can change the world – indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has!”

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